Fatima (2015)

An immigrant mother realizes that her daughters become estranged.

Director:

Philippe Faucon

Writers:

Philippe Faucon (scenario), Aziza Boudjellal (scenario consultant)

Stars:

Soria Zeroual, Zita Hanrot, Kenza Noah Aïche

5 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Soria Zeroual	...	Fatima
Zita Hanrot	...	Nesrine
Kenza Noah Aïche	...	Souad
Chawki Amari	...	Le père
Dalila Bencherif	...	Leila
Edith Saulnier	...	Séverine
Corinne Duchesne	...	La propriétaire appartement
Emir El Guerfi	...	Copain Sélim
Zakaria Ali-Mehidi	...	Sélim
Zahra Addioui	...	Femme cité 1
Nadia Hamied	...	Femme cité 2
Isabelle Candelier	...	Employeuse Fatima
Franck Andrieux	...	Médecin traitant Fatima
Christiane Laroche	...	La mère de l'employeuse de Fatima
Hélène Balazard	...	Employée Crédit Municipal

Storyline

Fatima lives on her own with two daughters to support: 15-year old Souad, a teenager in revolt, and 18-year old Nesrine, who is starting medical school. Fatima speaks French poorly and is constantly frustrated by her daily interactions with her daughters. Her pride and joy, they are also a source of worry. To ensure the best possible future for them, she works odd hours as a cleaning woman. One day, she takes a fall on the stairs. On leave, Fatima begins to write to her daughters in Arabic that which she has never been able to express in French.

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Plot Keywords:

teenage girl | character name as title | medical school | school | teenager | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 139413.

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Connections

References Gremlins (1984)

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Soundtracks

Osez Joséphine
Lyrics by Jean Fauque and Alain Bashung
Music by Alain Bashung
Performed by Alain Bashung
(from the 1991 album "Osez Joséphine")

User Reviews

Fatima; Or, Finding Your Way in a Foreign Land

This is a casual presentation of the daily lives of three Moroccan females. One's college-driven, overstressed, and trying her hardest. Another's falling out of interest with academia, is headstrong (not always in a good way), and would rather enjoy her youth than focus entirely on her future. The other's their mother--Fatima, our central character, voice of reason, and primary holder of traditional values.

The drama in this film mostly comes from stress, expectations, and peers. Nesrine is a medical student, so you'll get to witness her study a lot and stress over grades. Souad is a snobbish pretty girl with an attitude that only the most confident of males can subdue, so naturally she has an issue with authority and even her mother's means of income. Fatima is a house cleaner and school custodian who wants her daughters to succeed and appreciate their circumstances in France compared to hers' growig up in Morocco. As for their peers, the French women seem to take issue with Fatima's headscarf. The Muslim women take issue with the daughters' behavior and the family's sudden lack of interaction with them. The young (and old) males, on the other hand, are very interested in Souad. Both to her amusement and annoyance.

Fatima is an enjoyable watch. I just wish I could discuss it with someone who's been in similar situations to get their perspective and story. There are enough well-timed transitions between the three main characters for the film to stay interesting. One thing that I will comment on very briefly is the relationship between the mother and father. That is all.

Details

Country:

France Canada

Language:

French Arabic

Release Date:

7 October 2015 (France)

Also Known As:

Fatima

Filming Locations:

Lyon, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,221, 28 August 2016

Gross USA:

$50,105

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$212,228

Company Credits

Production Co:

Istiqlal Films, Arte France Cinéma, Rhône-Alpes Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1